Five questions about the Goshen Schools election Nov. 5

Questions and answers about the special Goshen Schools building project vote on Nov. 5

Lydia Sheaks

Posted on Oct. 29, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Want to vote but don’t know how?

If you would like to vote in the special election about the Goshen Schools building project on Nov. 5, here are five questions and answers that may help you.

Q: Am I eligible to vote in this election?

A: If you live in voting precincts Elkhart 1 through Elkhart 21 and you are a registered voter, then you may vote in this election. Not all Goshen residents may vote in this election, Chris Anderson of the Elkhart County Clerk’s office noted — it’s possible that a person may live in Goshen but not in Elkhart township.

Q: How can I find out what precinct I live in?

A: If you have access to the Internet, you may go to www.indianavoters.com. Under “What would you like to do?” click, “Find my polling place.” You will be asked to enter the county in which you live, your first and last name, and your birth date. Then, the search engine will tell you what precinct you live in and where you should go to vote.

If you don’t have Internet access or you would prefer to speak to somebody, you may call Elkhart County voter’s registration at 535-6770, 535-6774, or 535-6775.

If you have voted in the past and you haven’t moved since then, you will go to the same location that you always do to vote in this election.

Q: What should I expect when I go to vote?

A: When you get to your polling place, you will be asked to vote on this exact question, according to information provided by Goshen Schools:

“Shall Goshen Community Schools issue bonds or enter into a lease to finance the renovation of and construction of improvements to Goshen Middle School and Goshen High School, which includes site improvements, which is estimated to cost not more than $17,150,000 and is estimated to increase the property tax rate for debt service by a maximum of $.1098 per $100 of assessed valuation over the 20-year life of the bonds?”

You will be asked to choose either “yes” or “no” in answer to this question.

Q: Do I need to bring anything with me when I go to vote?

A: Yes. You need to bring a photo ID issued by the state or by the U.S. government. Many people use their driver’s license. Other forms of identification you may use include: a passport, U.S. military ID, or student ID from an Indiana state school. Anderson noted that student IDs issued by other schools, such as Bethel College, Goshen College, or the University of Notre Dame will not be honored.

Q: What should I do if I haven’t decided which way to vote?

A: There are a few things you can do if you don’t know yet whether you should vote “yes” or “no.”

If you have Internet access, you can look at information about the Goshen Schools project on the school corporation website. Go to www.goshenschools.org and click on “Updated: Slideshow Regarding Proposed Renovations” on the left side of the page, under News. There you may find details that could help you make a decision.

If you don’t have Internet access, or you would prefer to speak to somebody, you may call Goshen Schools superintendent Diane Woodworth at 533-8631.